I was still looking around for Pepsi with Mal, when Jessica showed up with my little missing munchkin.  “Hey Jessica!  Where did you find her?”

 

                “She was under my bed.  She apparently wanted to talk.”  Jessica said, smiling.

 

                “Really?  Cool!  Did her mind voice work, or did you have to talk to her?”

 

                “Actually, we kind of did both.  She and I have come to an understanding.”  Jessica skritched Pepsi’s back and ears, and Pepsi purred.  “I stop being a bitch, and she stops clawing me.”

 

                “Oh my god!  She clawed you?  Are you okay?”  I asked.

 

                “Yeah, I’m fine.  But seriously, we did talk, and Pepsi gave me some advice.  Here’s your little demon-kitty.”  Jessica handed her over to me, and I carefully took her. 

 

                “Thanks.” Pepsi purred and gave me a headbutt, and relaxed in my arms. “How are you doing, Jessica?”

 

                “To be honest, I’m a bit freaked out about those rogue government people.  I hope we don’t have to kill them.”

 

                “I hope not, too.”  Karen replied.

 

                “Don’t worry, Jessica.”  Mal said.  “You won’t have to kill anyone.  I promise.”

 

                “Thanks, Mal.  I appreciate that.”

 

                “Thanks again for Pepsi, Jess.”  I said.

 

                “No Problem.  I’ll just leave the two of you alone… Have a nice time!  Bye!”  Jessica turned and left, a smile on her face.

 

                “What do you suppose that meant?”  I asked Mal.

 

                “If I had to guess, I’d say some of the team has heard about us going out for drinks.  The only thing faster than bad news is gossip.”

 

                “Hahah.  True.  Did you want to come back to my room and hang out a bit?  We could chat or watch TV?”

 

                “I’d like that.  A lot, actually.  We need to talk about Emile’s plan, amongst other things.”

 

                I wasn’t sure I liked where he might be going, but I nodded.  “Okay.  Come on.”

 

                Together we went back to my dorm, and I put Pepsi on the floor, who rewarded me with a Meow before leaving the two of us alone to talk. 

 

                “What’s on your mind, Mal?”

 

                “Aside from spending time with you?”  He said, smiling.  “I think we might need to act – violently – on these people to protect Ms. Potter and her family.  Emile knows it, and I think you know it too.”

 

                I sighed.  “Yeah.  I know it.  I just don’t want it to have to come to that – but the problem is, is that it’s already there, isn’t it Mal?”

 

                “Yeah, Karen, it is.  I think we need to remove them.  Emile agrees.  When the time comes, I would like to know if you’ll join us.  If you can do what needs to be done.”

 

                I thought about it a moment, and I realized I could do what needed to be done.  “Just so we’re clear, we’re talking about killing these evil men, without bringing in the rest of the team, to protect Ms. Potter and her family?”

 

                “Yes.”  Mal said, softly. 

 

                “I’m in, god help me.”  I didn’t want to kill anyone – but I could see how many ways arresting them would go wrong – would end in Ms. Potter and her family being killed or worse.  I couldn’t let that happen to her.  I wouldn’t.

 

                “You don’t have to do this, Karen.”  Mal said quietly.  “Emile and I can handle it.”

 

                “No.  I believe you’re right.  I believe this is the right thing to do.  I just am afraid we’ll cross a line we can’t come back from.”

 

                “I crossed that line a long time ago, Karen.”

 

                “I don’t mean like when you were in the war, Mal.  People want their heroes to be icons, to be greater than life… to be better than they are.  To be held to a higher standard.  If we start killing because it’s the most efficient way, or because it’s the sensible way – then in some people’s eyes, we’ll be no better than they are – and if we would kill badguys, when would we start killing other people?  I know it seems holier than thou, or accepting of the pedestal they might put us on, but if their heroes let them down, if we just seem to be people, then what are we to them?  Dangerous mutants?”

 

“Karen, I’m not sure they don’t see us as dangerous mutants already.  Some people will see us as heroes – but this is the real world, not the comic books.  Any jail we could put these guys in, they could escape from – and then Ms. Potter’s family dies.  Their friends could come after Ms. Potter and her family while they’re in jail – and her family dies.  We need to stop them from hurting anyone else, and unfortunately, permanently is the best way.”

 

“Part of me knows that, and accepts it, Mal… but part of me wants to be that shining icon that says ‘There’s always another way.’  I don’t want to start killing people, even bad people.  With our powers we could easily knock them all out, round them up and contain them.  Easily.  You know it too.  So why kill them?”

 

Mal sighed.  “Sometimes the real world doesn’t play fair, Karen.  I’d like to be the big hero too.  I just don’t know if we can afford to be the hero here.”

 

“Well, I’ll consider your plan, Mal, if you promise to consider mine too.  Please?”

 

“That sounds fair, Karen.  Did you still want to watch some TV, or would you like me to go?”

 

“We could watch some TV.”  I said, not wanting him to leave just yet.  “How about a movie?”

 

“Sure.”

 

With that, we retired to my room, and got settled down to watch a movie.  It turned out that Mal hadn’t seen many movies in the last twenty years, so I decided to show him Captain America, the recent Marvel movie.  I popped a bag of microwave popcorn, and we sat down to watch a movie. 

 

We were about halfway through the movie when Mal stretched, and put his arm around me.

 

“Hey, Mal.”  I said, turning to him.

 

“Is this okay, Karen?” he asked. 

 

I nestled in to his shoulder.  It felt good, and he smelled good.  Being this close to him made me feel a bit funny too, like I did with Eddie.  “It’s okay.”

 

As the movie progressed, I realized I was feeling very comfortable with Mal – and I didn’t know what to think.  Was I cheating on Eddie?  I didn’t think so – we both had said ‘let’s see what happens’ – but I wasn’t sure how I felt.  I really liked Mal, and really liked being held like this, with him – by him.  It made me feel safe.  Hah!  I can bend steel bars, and bounce bullets, so why does he make me feel safe?  I sighed, and put my arm around him, and we just kept watching the movie.  Mal didn’t seem to mind.

 

Eventually, the movie reached its end, and we both lay there, watching the credits roll.  Mal looked over to me, nestled up against him, and gave me a little hug.  “Hey, Karen.  The movie finished.  You still with me?”

 

“Yeah, I’m awake Mal.”  I said, looking over and up at him.  His face was looking right at mine, his baby blues just drilling into me.  “Hi, Mal.”

 

“Hi Karen.”  He said, leaning down… And then I felt his lips touch mine, and we were kissing. 

 

He tasted different from Eddie – his scent, his … whatever it was, was different.  It felt more mature, wiser,

as silly as that may seem.  It felt completely different, and I realized I like it.  We kissed again, gently, and I could feel myself getting more and more interested and aroused.  From how much he seemed to be enjoying it, I think he felt the same.

 

                I was ready to keep kissing, when Mal pulled back.  “Thank you for a lovely evening, Karen.” 

 

                “Wha…?  You’re going?”  I asked.

 

                “I probably should, unless you’re ready for me to stay.”

 

                I wasn’t sure I was.  “Maybe we should stop for now.”

 

                He smiled, and stroked my hair.  “Okay, Karen.  I had a good time.”

 

                “Me too.”

 

                “I’m glad.”  He replied, gently disentangling himself from me.  We both got up from the bed, and I saw him to the door.  I think Kim saw us emerge from my bedroom – she chuckled and went back to texting her friends.

 

                “We should do this again, sometime.”  I suggested.

 

                “I think so,” Mal replied.  “I really liked the movie by the way.”

 

                “Thanks.  I liked the company.”

 

                “Me too.”  He said, smiling.  “I should go.  Good night Karen.”

 

                “Good night, Mal.” 

 

He kissed me on the cheek again, and turned and left.  I went back inside, still feeling squirrely and confused from the emotions he brought out in me.  Could I be liking him and Eddie at the same time?  They both felt like very different men!  Was I being a slut?  I didn’t know, and I was more than a little confused.  I figured a shower and then bed would clear my thoughts.

 

The shower was very relaxing, and by the time I was done, I was practically falling asleep on my feet, so I crawled into bed after drying my hair, and flaked out.  That was the last I knew until morning.

 

 

*              *              *

 

 

                I woke to knocking on my bedroom door.  “Hrungh?  Who is it?”

 

                “It’s Krissie!  We’ve got to be up and ready for breakfast in 20 minutes, Karen.  Ms. Potter said classes start today and we have a meeting in the Cafeteria right after breakfast.  Didn’t you set an alarm?”

 

                “Uh… no.”  I replied, jumping out of bed to get ready.

 

                “I think I know why… Did you and Mal enjoy the movie?”  Krissie teased.  “Or did you not see most of it?”

 

                I laughed.  “We saw the movie… but we did get distracted.”

 

                “Did you like it?” 

 

                “Yeah… I did like it.”

 

                “We’ll talk later.  I’ve got to finish getting ready.  You’d better scoot too!”

 

                “Thanks for the wake up call.”  I replied.

 

                “You’re welcome!”

 

                I looked at the time, and thanked what gods there were that I had my shower last night.  I blurred into super-speed and started getting ready – brushing my hair, picking out clothes, getting dressed – all that jazz.  As I finished, and stepped out of my room, Krissie emerged from hers, looking rushed, and saw me.

 

                “Now that’s just cheating, Karen!”  She laughed in a bit of a huff.  “You got ready with super speed, didn’t you?”

 

                “Yep.”  I laughed back.  “Guilty as charged.”

 

                “Grrr…  C’mon, we’re going to be late.  I heard some of us are going to be on patrol today.”

 

                “Already?”

 

                “Yeah – just because we aren’t finished our training doesn’t mean the bad guys will wait for us, apparently.”

 

                “Damned inconvenient of them, if you ask me.”

 

                “True.”

 

                “Okay, Krissie. Let’s go.”  We headed out to the cafeteria to hear Ms. Potter’s plans for the day.